The Cure
by BlackBlackBlue
Summary: In which Darren Shan finds a cure for Vampirism. But will it work, and will Mr Crepsley let him? Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

**My first Darren Shan fic. Enjoy and please review! **

* * *

Darren had a plan. Admittedly, it wasn't a good plan, but it was one that was impossible to ignore.

It all started off with a book and not just any type of book, but a heavy thing with parchment pages and a leather bound cover. It was covered in red ink symbols, pentagons and the like, so that it looked very dangerous indeed. The writing inside was cramped and spidery, and there was a faint smell of blood surrounding the whole thing. A few years ago, Darren would have been terrified of it, but now that he was a half-vampire, almost nothing could scare him off.

Anyway, Darren had come across the book near one of the Cirque Du Freak's touring sites. He had just finished cleaning out Madam Octa's cage and was wondering about a woodland path that lay nearby, thinking about a number of things, but especially Sam Grest. The boy had died four months ago, and despite having left the site of his death, his memory continued to haunt Darren. But there was nothing he could do about the death now; nothing that would remove Sam's blood from Darren's veins and nothing that would erase the events of the last few years and grant Darren a normal life.

Sighing, Darren returned to the Cirque site, determined to remove the melancholy thoughts from his head. It wasn't like him to be moody. Like Mr Crepsley always said, he was a creature of 'Ridiculous happiness and reckless tomfoolery'. Darren thought that the statement summed him up quite nicely.

As he was hurrying back, he spotted a lone Little Person some distance away, sneaking behind some caravans with an object clutched to his chest. Darren frowned, curious at the unusual behaviour. It wasn't like a Little Person to venture out on his own, let alone sneak around with strange objects. He decided to investigate further, following the clueless Little Person with as much stealth as he could muster.

The hooded creature led him away from the caravans and into the forest that the Cirque had decided to camp next to. It was a quiet place, filled with ancient trees and a canopy so thick it almost blocked out the midday sun. The Little Person scampered on ahead, dashing beneath spots of light showing through the leaves and moving surprisingly fast for one so mishappen. Darren tried his best to remain unheard, but was almost discovered as he stood on a twig that snapped with heart-stopping loudness and echoed off the trunks surrounding them.

Fortunately, the Little Person merely glanced back before setting off again, unaware that he was being followed. Darren gave a sigh of relief, before gathering his courage and setting off once more.

They went on like this for an hour or so, barely pausing as they penetrated deeper and deeper into the forest. The woodland must have gone on for miles. because despite their quick pace, Darren couldn't spot an end to the endless mass of trees.

Eventually, after almost an hour and a half's worth of running, the Little Person came to a standstill, standing stock-still for a moment. Breathing heavily, the creature turned 90 degrees clockwise, almost coming face to face with his pursuer. Biting his lips with tension, Daren watched with confusion as the creature suddenly started to dig.

It's claws sunk into the ground with ease, ripping up clods of soil and flinging it into the air behind him. Suddenly, their was a hollow clang as the Little Person's hand came into contact with something solid, something buried here underneath the woods.

Darren watched with silent amazement as a wooden surface was suddenly revealed, something that looked suspiciously like a ... trapdoor!

The Little Person, still oblivious to his observer, wrenched an iron handle, and with a creak and moan loud enough to wake the dead, opened the trapdoor to reveal dusty steps leading down into a gloomy space beneath the forest floor. A musty, not unpleasant smell wafted up from the entrance, and without hesitation the Little Person clambered down into darkness.

Darren was about to follow, but hesitated as he realised hat he had been missing from camp for almost two hours. Evra wouldn't be happy at being left alone, and not to mention the fact that Mr Crepsley would be awake soon. Darren dithered for a second or two before throwing caution into the wind and slipping down after the Little Person. To hell with punctuality; this was far too exciting to ignore.

He stepped down into a vast cavern, more like a cave than anything else, with fungus covered walls and a draught blowing through. It was a surprisingly large space, and the roots of the trees above acted as columns, giving the whole place a foundation and secure pillars. Dodging between the roots and the great spider webs wafting about in the air, Darren observed his surroundings with great interest, noticing the lamps tucked in various corners, and the equipment cluttering the place. An old desk sat on the far end, mouldy and on the brink of collapse. It was piled high with books and papers, some escaping its surface and spilling onto the floor.

With a start, Darren realised that the Little Person was underneath the desk, tucking the object he had just been carrying deep under the mound of books. Heart thumping, Darren realised that if the creature turned around, he would be discovered in an instant.

Shaking with apprehension, Darren backed away as quietly as he could, the thick coating of dust on the floor disguising any noise that he made. Dodging behind roots as a cover, he edged his way out of the mysterious chamber, praying that the Little Person took no notice of the footsteps he had just left behind.

It didn't. The Little Person left the cavern, threw soil back over the opening, and made his way back to camp, his task now complete.

Darren made sure that it was long gone before jumping down from the tree he had just clambered up for protection. Wiping dust from the cavern off his clothes, he gazed at the spot the cavern lay with glee, wondering if he could rummage about a bit before heading back to camp. It probably wasn't wise, but his curiosity was unbearable and he needed to have another look.

So, rather recklessly, Darren re-dug the trapdoor opening, glancing cautiously over his shoulder, just in case he was being observed. His fingernails were perfect for ripping up the earth, and in no time at all, the trapdoor was open and he was once again in the cavern, exploring the space in more detail.

He hadn't realised it before, but on the floor were strange markings, pentagons and pictures of bull-like animals, as well as writing in some strange language. Observing the markings closer, Darren realised it wasn't written in ink, but burnt into the ground.

"Wicked!" He breathed quietly, tracing a charred line with his finger, and rubbing the ash between his thumb and forefinger.

Wandering further, he began to look at the items piled high on the table. Most of it was diagrams scrawled onto crumbling pieces of paper, of cats and other animals that Darren had never seen before. They all had grotesque expressions on their faces, so with a shudder, Darren put the sheets back down.

Suddenly remembering the object the Little Person had left behind, Darren crawled underneath the desk, sneezing violently as something crawled across his nose. It was a strange creature, small but bulbous, and with a retch of disgust, Darren flicked it away before dragging out a black shape nestled deep under a mound of jars.

It was a book, that much was clear, but unlike the others in the room, it was immaculate. It's leather cover was as smooth as silk, and running his hand down the spine, Darren realised it had no title. Frowning, he edged nearer to one of the lamps to examine further. Later, he would come to regret it, but at the time his interest simply overwhelmed him.

Opening he first page, Darren soon found that unlike the other books cluttering the place, this one was written in English and was not yet falling apart. It's pages were yellowing and it's writing unintelligible, so Darren flicked through without much interest, until one word in bold captured his attention.

_VAMPIRES._

Darren hurriedly flicked back to the page the word was written on, gaping at the sheer amount of writing cramped onto the parchment sheet. There were several diagrams, including one of a vampire feeding, and one of the ten scratches on a vampires fingertips. Greatly interested, Darren read a few random paragraphs, which spoke at great length of vampire feeding habits and their general way of life. None of it was new, except a few pages waffling on about the Vampire Generals and their governing system. Darren was about to close the book and look for another, but the final three pages suddenly caught his attention, causing his breath to catch in his throat.

_Reversing Vampirism._

Reversing Vampirism...so it could be cured! There was a way to stop being a vampire! Darren felt a surge of happiness, his shoulders shaking with delight, but it was suddenly drowned out by a feeling of great betrayal. So Mr Crepsley had lied...he had lied by saying that he could not change Darren back. But why would he say such a thing? Despite everything, Darren knew that Mr Crepsley was not a cruel man, and would never want to intentionally keep him miserable. No, Mr Crepsley would not have lied, he had simply not known.

Glancing back at the book, Darren saw that the book backed his suspicions.

'_The treatment for vampirism is rarely known, and post 18th century, the Princes themselves don't know that such a thing still exists-'. _So Mr Crepsley really hadn't known, he was simply ignorant.

Breathing a sigh of relief, it dawned on Darren that he now had something in his hands that was priceless. A way back to normality; a way of finally leading a normal life. Giddy with joy, Darren read intently, tears of joy pricking in the corners of his eyes.

_'Vampirism is not an easy condition to treat, let alone cure completely, and there have been instances of cures going terribly wrong' _The book stated '_The treatment usually consists of four stages; Fasting, poison, sleep and finally, sunlight. If successful, the subject should be unaffected by sunlight once he has awoken, a sure sign that he has been cured. This method has been greatly criticized, especially in the thirteenth century where not one of the sixty applications of the treatments worked. All sixty subjects died in their second stage, but critics say this is due to the fact that most where not vampires, just lunatics accused by their village people of being so._

_The fasting stage should be carried out until the subject has lost some, but not all of his/her strength. In the past, subjects abstained from both human blood and normal food, but Dr Wikeston, a well-known expert in the area insists that abstinence of human blood is enough. Prolonged fasting can cause death, so should not be carried out into the extreme. The poison stage followed, the poison of choice usually Hemlock or Itcherus plants.'_

There was then a diagram of the two poisons described, and Darren stared at them for a while, committing them to memory before reading on.

'_The poison should cause a deep sleep, usually lasting for a week or so, in which the vampires body begins to heal, returning back to its human state. A forced day in the sun is enough to rid the vampire of any remaining vampiric cells the poison has not killed, after which he is a human once more. The method has been studied intently and it has been found that, in theory, it is entirely plausible, for it rids the subjects of-'_

Darren stopped reading after that, not interested in the technical side or how it worked in theory. He stared up at the ceiling, glassy-eyed. Fasting, poison...none of it sounded too appetising for sure, but he was only a half vampire. Maybe it would require less effort for him to become a human again. Besides, he was tired of being stuck in a twelve-year old body. He wanted to grow, to get a family, to go home..

Darren hesitated, thinking of his own home. Could he really go back, in the same physical form as he had departed in? How on earth would he explain that, without scaring his parents to death? How could Annie treat him like an older brother whilst she now looked physically older than him?

No, it was too crazy, but Darren couldn't pretend that it wasn't appealing. His old life wasn't an option, but what was to stop him from leading a new life, as a new person? No-one could stop him from leaving and he could do anything he wanted to. Thoughts of a happy family and a steady job flooded his mind. He was decided. He was going to do it, at whatever cost. It didn't really matter if he died, and anyway, it wasn't like ignoring the book would resolve anything He would continue to think about it until it drove him mad.

Mind set, Darren tore out the three precious pages carefully, folding them into a small square and tucking it deep into a pocket in his undershirt. Little did he know however, that far in a dark corner, someone watched him with narrowed, freakish eyes.

*/*/*/*/*/

* * *

**Reviews on what you thought, or any suggestions please! **


	2. Chapter 2

It took all of Darren's strength to act as if nothing was wrong as he headed back to camp, leaving the buried cavern far behind. Telling anyone about it wasn't an option, he would have to keep it a secret.

Evra was waiting for him outside his caravan, his snake flopped about his ankles and with a vaguely annoyed expression on his face. He was nearly seventeen now, and every time Darren looked at him, he couldn't help but compare his pathetically boyish body to his.

"Where have you been then?" Evra hissed, glancing warily behind him "Didn't you hear what happened?"

Darren frowned, throwing himself down beside him onto the grass. It was just typical of him to miss exciting moments on the camp.

"No, what happened?" Darren replied, brushing his hand on the spot where the papers where hidden "Did another performer turn up? Or did Rhamus eat something he shouldn't have again?"

"Ha ha" Evra muttered bleakly "No, worse than that. Mr Tiny's back, and apparently, he's really annoyed about something."

Darren couldn't help but feel a sudden jerk of fear. The cavern...it could have belonged to him. No, the cavern definitely belonged to Mr Tiny. A Little Person had been sent there, and everyone knew that they were under his control. But how could Mr Tiny have known about his trespass so early? And most importantly of all, what would he do to Darren if he did know?

"Are you alright?" Evra asked shrewdly, catching the fleeting look of panic that passed over Darren's face. "What happened? Darren?"

Darren bit his lip, wondering whether or not to blurt everything out to him. Who knew, maybe Evra could back him up if Mr Tiny did decide to kill him. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late! Mr Tiny suddenly emerged from Mr Tall's caravan a few feet away, anger visibly crackling around him as he marched past. Darren wasn't sure whether it was accidental or planned, but Mr Tiny turned to glare at him, hatred visible in his eyes even from metres away.

Darren's blood turned cold and he scrambled to his feet in panic, wondering whether he could make a dash for it before Mr Tiny made his move. But Mr Tiny turned away without a second glance, soon disappearing into the distance.

"What was that all about?" Evra asked shakily, looking even more frightened than Darren was "What's gotten into _him?"_

Darren shuddered, relief coursing through his bones. Smiling slightly, he turned to face his friend before answering, his voice utterly sincere.

"He's just broken up with his girlfriend" He hissed in a conspiring whisper "And he's very upset about it"

Evra gazed at him in horror, before snorting loudly and after seeing Darren's grin, collapsed into howling laughter. It was loud enough to attract the attention of nearby circus members, who looked over with bemused expressions. Seeing their faces and Evra's infectious cackle caused Darren to snort too, eventually giving peals of giggles that he just couldn't spot.

Without warning, Mr Crepsley suddenly emerged from Mr Tall's caravan, making his way towards them with a serious expression that changed into one of bewilderment as he came closer. He looked from on boy to another, scratching his scar with obvious puzzlement.

"Care to explain what you find so amusing?" He asked wearily. "Honestly, you're loud enough to be heard from the next town..."

"It's Darren, he's so..so..so _idiotic!"_ Evra explained between giggles "God, I can't believe you said that.."

Mr Crepsley observed Darren with faint amusement, the corner of his mouth lifted up into a smirk.

"Yes, he is ridiculous at times" He remarked dryly, before spinning around and walking in the direction Mr Tiny had just went. "Come Darren, we've got a lot to do tonight."

Bidding the still snorting Evra good night, Darren raced after his mentor as they exited the campsite. The winter night air was settling in, blowing stiffly across the hills.

"Where are we going then?" Darren asked, tucking his hands underneath his sleeves for warmth "And what's up with Mr Tiny? He looked furious."

Mr Crepsley looked around wearily, as though he was worried that Mr Tiny himself was still lurking about somewhere.

"He has...issues" He replied lowly "I would not go poking around if I were you. Hibernius was scared out of his wits when he left, having been threatened and the like. Now, when was the last time you fed?"

Darren's heart sunk, realising that it would be near impossible to start the vampirism curing process with Mr Crepsley observing his feeding habits so closely. He'd have to be very sly from now on, maybe coating his mouth with blood but not swallowing a drop? It was risky, but necessary.

"Nine days ago," Darren answered truthfully, knowing that if he lied, he'd only raise suspicion "We can leave it until tomorrow night if you want."

"No, I need to feed too," Mr Crepsley answered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully "We will have just enough time to visit him, plenty I should think..."

"Visit who?" Darren questionned, glancing up at Mr Crepsley curiously. They hardly ever visited anyone during their feeding times, let alone someone new. "A friend?"

"Yes, I suppose he is a friend," Mr Crepsley remarked, stopping suddenly and kneeling down in the middle of the dirt track "Come, we'll need to flit tonight. And for God's sake, _please _don't put your filthy shoes all over my back this time! It took a a day and a night to clean my last cape!"

"You should get better quality capes then" Darren muttered, ignoring Larten's affronted tut as he wound his arms around the vampires neck. "I'm sure they sell great ones down at the local market..."

"Darren Shan, you are the most bothersome little toad I have ever met." Larten sighed mock-seriously as he straightened up. "Now hush, and keep your grubby boots to yourself"

And without another word, they were off.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/**/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

They ambushed an unsuspecting businessman that night, waiting patiently at an abandoned bus stop. Mr Crepsley had lead him into an alleyway, before knocking him out with his breath, making a small cut on his neck and drinking deeply. Darren watched anxiously, wondering furiously how he would get out drinking now, and for the next couple of weeks. Mr Crepsley wouldn't accept it, probably force-feeding him as he had tried a few years ago.

"Your turn" Mr Crepsley announced, jolting Darren out of his thoughts. "And hurry. My friend is expecting us."

Darren sighed and moved forward, holding the man's neck awkwardly as he observed the cut Larten had made. A few days ago, he wouldn't have hesitated in drinking his fill, before leaving the man to wake up in the alley-way, alone and without a clue of what happened. But now... he wanted to be a human, and if he wanted that to happen than he would have to avoid Human blood for at least a month.

"Darren" Mr Crepsley interrupted, his voice sharp, suspicious. If any of this was going to work, then Darren needed to avoid as much suspicion as possible, otherwise he could get caught.

"Alright, alright, I was just trying to figure out which way to put him." Darren complained, avoiding Larten's eyes. Mr Crepsley was looking at him with narrowed eyes, he could just feel it.

"Drink" He ordered, a steely undertone to his voice and Darren obeyed, putting his mouth over the cut. But what he didn't do was suck in, leaving a gap for him to breathe. He took a huge breath in, creating the illusion that he was drinking when in fact, not a single drop of blood slipped down his throat. He let some blood stain his lips, careful not to swallow any before letting go, wiping his mouth as a final touch. Mr Crepsley fell for it, grunting his approval, before closing the man's cut.

"You are such a meticulous feeder." He grumbled, easing the man into a more comfortable position. "You need to become more comfortable with it, you know. We are not falling back into the old routine of me forcing you to feed."

Darren grinned humourlessly.

"Don't worry, I don't want to have bottles of blood forced down my throat when I'm sleeping" He said reassuringly "You cut half my lip open last time"

Mr Crepsley looked at him solemnly, a strange glint in his eye.

"That was for your own good" He insisted, spreading his hands wide "I didn't want to be in charge of burying you, despite whatever you may think"

Darren frowned at him, not liking the ominous feel he was getting for deceiving his mentor.

"Do you really die if you don't feed?" He asked, putting on a show of innocent curiosity "I didn't-"

"You were about to" Mr Crepsley interrupted "No-one could survive more than three weeks without blood, half-vampire or not."

Darren was silent, storing that important piece of information away in his mind. Three weeks... that was his limit to his fasting period. So three weeks from his last feeding was as long as he could go on for. He could do it, he was sure he could...

"Come, we're late enough as it is" Mr Crepsley announced, standing up. "Let's go"

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

* * *

**Short chapter this time. Please review your thoughts, criticism's etc..**

**BTW, all of this is taking place after the second book and before the third. Might replace the third books storyline. And I haven't read the whole series, so don't scream at me if I write something contradicting. **


End file.
